Oak  Street 
UNCLASSIFIED 


B 


TEMPLE  UNIVERSITY 


Founder’s  and  Alumni  Day 


ACADEMY  OF  MUSIC 


PHILADELPHIA 


February  Fourteenth 
Nineteen  Hundred  and  Twenty-One 


TEMPLE  UNIVERSITY 


Founder’s  and  Alumni  Day 


ACADEMY  OF  MUSIC 
PHILADELPHIA 


February  Fourteenth 
Nineteen  Hundred  and  Twenty-One 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2017  with  funding  from 

University  of  Illinois  Urbana-Champaign  Alternates 


https://archive.org/details/foundersalumnidaOOtemp 


FOUNDER’S  AND  ALUMNI  DAY 
Academy  of  Music,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 
February  14,  1921. 


Wilmer  Krusen,  M.D.,  LL.D.,  Vice-President  of  the 
University,  called  the  meeting  to  order  at  8.20  o’clock  P.  M. 

Chairman  Krusen:  The  opening  prayer  will  be  made 
by  The  Reverend  J.  Gray  Bolton,  D.D. 

PRAYER  BY 

Rev.  J.  Gray  Bolton:  Let  us  unite  in  prayer.  Oh,  God, 
our  Heavenly  Father,  Thou  who  art  the  Founder  of  this 
Nation,  Thou  who  has  blessed  us  as  a Nation  and  a people; 
we  come  tonight  to  give  unto  Thee  the  gratitude  of  our 
hearts,  to  offer  unto  Thee  the  consecrated  service  of  our 
lives.  We  thank  Thee  for  the  institution  that  we  represent 
here  tonight,  for  the  faithful,  loyal  and  loving  service  of  the 
President  of  Temple  University;  for  all  that  he  has  been  to 
this  City  and  to  our  country;  for  his  love  of  the  Church  and 
his  love  of  the  State,  one  undivided  and  one  in  purpose  for 
the  best  interests  of  all  her  citizens.  God  bless  Dr.  Conwell, 
and  may  the  coming  days  and  years  be  brighter  and  happier 
and  more  profitable  for  Christ  and  humanity  than  any  of 
the  past  years  of  his  life.  Bless  his  associates  in  the  faculty, 
and  bless  the  boys  and  girls  that  have  gone  out  into  the 
world  carrying  with  them  life,  morality  and  Christianity, 
and  may  this  institution,  and  all  the  institutions  in  our  land, 
tend  to  the  glory  of  Thy  name  and  the  salvation  of  men 
everywhere  in  this  world,  and  may  such  institutions  as  we 
represent  here  tonight  send  out  the  Saviour  of  saving  power 
into  the  hearts  and  homes  of  the  nation,  and  from  this 
nation  to  the  world.  Now  we  commit  ourselves  to  Thy 

3 


care  and  keeping.  Bless  the  exercises  of  the  evening;  bless 
all  who  are  present,  and  all  who  love  righteousness,  justice 
and  peace  to  the  honor  and  glory  of  Thy  name,  our  Blessed 
Lord  and  Redeemer.  Amen. 

INTRODUCTORY  REMARKS  OF  THE  PRESIDING 
OFFICER 

Chairman  Krusen:  President  Conwell,  Honored  Guests, 
Members  of  the  Faculty,  Friends  of  Temple  University: 
It  is  a pleasant  privilege  which  I have  to  welcome  you  on 
this  occasion  on  behalf  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  and  the 
Faculties  of  Temple  University,  to  have  you  join  with  us  in 
paying  tribute  to  our  beloved  President  and  Founder,  Dr. 
Russell  H.  Conwell.  This  has  been  a week  of  birthday  cele- 
brations: On  last  Monday  a number  of  admirers  of  the 
writings  and  life  of  Charles  Dickens  celebrated  the  anni- 
versary of  his  birth;  on  last  Saturday  the  Nation  paid 
tribute  to  the  memory  of  Abraham  Lincoln.  Tonight  we 
pay  tribute  to  a living  man  who,  in  many  ways,  resembles 
both  of  these  great  men.  Charles  Dickens  fought  the 
iniquitous  educational  system  of  his  day,  particularly  in 
Nicholas  Nickleby;  Abraham  Lincoln ' emancipated  the 
colored  man  from  the  shackles  of  slavery.  Russell  Conwell 
is  fighting  for  a democracy  of  education  and  is  fighting  to 
break  the  shackles  of  ignorance  and  illiteracy  from  the  youth 
of  America.  And  so  it  is  fitting  that  we  should  meet  here 
tonight  to  tell  him  how  much  we  love  him,  how  much  we 
honor  him,  and  how  we,  as  citizens  of  Philadelphia,  appre- 
ciate the  work  that  he  has  done  for  the  City  of  Philadelphia 
and  for  the  State  of  Pennsylvania. 

We  are  also  celebrating  tonight  the  founding  of  Temple 
University.  Dr.  Conwell  came  to  this  city  in  1882.'  In 
1884  the  first  student  of  Temple  University,  or  Temple 
College,  applied  to  him  for  help.  I hold  in  my  hand,  and  I 
wish  I could  pass  it  out  to  each  one  of  you  to  see,  the  first 
catalogue  of  Temple  University,  or  Temple  College  as  it  was 
then  called,  published  in  1889.  It  has  in  it  the  few  courses 

4 


of  study  that  were  then  taught,  the  few  branches  that  were 
taught  at  that  time,  and  has  just  eighteen  pages.  I now 
show  you  the  catalogue  of  Temple  University  in  the  present 
year — 600  pages  with  the  various  University  courses 
described.  The  growth  of  the  institution  from  7 students 
to  7,000  students  shows  the  wonderful,  and,  I may  say,  the 
unexpected  growth  to  the  man  who  founded  this  institu- 
tion; and  when  we  realize  tonight  that  100,000  boys  and  girls, 
young  men  and  young  women,  have  received  part  or  all  of 
their  education  in  this  institution,  I need  to  make  no  further 
comment  upon  the  influence  he  has  exerted  in  this  com- 
munity. The  various  departments  have  grown,  and  the 
necessity  for  greater  buildings  and  a greater  endowment 
must  be  apparent  to  every  thoughtful  man  and  woman.  I 
know  that  our  President  will  speak  to  you  upon  that  theme 
before  the  evening  is  over. 

But  my  duty  as  presiding  officer  is  simply  to  present  to 
you  the  real  speakers,  the  real  orators  of  the  evening,  and  I 
introduce  to  you  first  our  well-known  but  new  Superintendent 
of  Public  Instruction  of  the  State  of  Pennsylvania  who  came 
to  us,  after  being  thoroughly  trained  in  the  State  of  New 
York  in  its  educational  system,  on  the  first  day  of  June, 
1919,  and  has  won  the  esteem  and  confidence  of  pupils,  of 
parents,  of  teachers  and  the  public  in  the  State  of  Pennsyl- 
vania. I present  for  the  opening  address  on  this  occasion 
Dr.  Thomas  E.  Finegan,  of  Harrisburg.  [Applause.] 

ADDRESS  BY 

Thomas  E.  Finegan,  Ph.D.,  LL.D.,  State  Superintendent 
of  Public  Instruction:  Distinguished  President  of  the  Uni- 
versity, Guests,  Members  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  and 
Faculty,  Ladies  and  Gentlemen  and  Friends  of  the  Uni- 
versity: It  is  a pleasure  to  come  here  tonight  and  share  with 
you  the  joy  and  the  satisfaction  which  I know  you  all  feel 
in  the  success  of  Temple  University.  We  come  here  tonight 
to  honor  the  distinguished  head  of  this  institution,  because 
the  life  of  Dr.  Conwell  is  in  part  the  life  of  the  University, 


5 


and  the  life  of  the  University  is  the  story  in  part  of  the 
life  of  Dr.  Conwell.  This  institution  has  not  only  the 
respect  and  the  esteem  and  the  confidence  of  the  people  of 
Philadelphia,  but  it  also  has  the  esteem  and  the  respect  and 
the  confidence  of  the  people  of  this  great  Commonwealth; 
and  while  we  take  pride  in  all  that  this  institution  has 
accomplished  in  its  great  history  and  growth,  we  may  with 
propriety  at  this  time  inquire  into  the  aims  and  purposes  of 
the  institution,  as  to  how,  as  to  why  it  was  deemed  neces- 
sary to  establish  an  institution  of  this  kind  in  Philadelphia, 
what  has  been  the  reason  of  its  phenomenal  growth  and 
success;  how  has  it  happened  that  in  these  few  years,  as 
you  have  learned  tonight,  thirty-seven  years,  from  a mere 
classroom  of  seven  students  it  has  grown  and  developed  into 
a university  which  maintains  departments  in  the  liberal  arts, 
the  sciences,  medicine,  law,  music,  theology,  education, 
dentistry  and  others,  and  has  an  attendance  now  of  seven 
thousand  or  more  students?  No  university,  no  educational 
institution  in  the  land  has  a record  which  eclipses  this,  and 
while  the  number  of  years  of  its  existence  indicates  its  youth, 
the  magnitude  of  its  service,  the  importance  of  that  service 
and  the  extent  of  it  is  an  indication  that  the  institution  is 
upon  a sound  and  enduring  basis.  And  so  I take  pride, 
as  a representative  of  the  State  of  Pennsylvania,  in  coming 
here  tonight  to  join  with  you  who  are  interested  in  the  work 
of  this  great  institution,  to  express  our  appreciation  for  what 
it  has  accomplished  and  what  it  is,  and  for  the  work  which 
is  still  open  for  it,  and  in  all  of  these  things  to  pay  honor 
and  respect  to  the  wisdom  of  the  leadership  which  has  made 
it  possible  for  this  institution  to  reach  such  rich  accomplish- 
ments. 

I have  known  Temple  University  for  more  than  half  of 
the  years  of  its  existence.  It  was  my  duty  as  an  educational 
officer  in  an  adjoining  State  to  pass  upon  the  certificates  and 
credentials  which  were  frequently  issued  by  this  institution. 
Many  young  men  and  young  women  who  received  their 
training  in  this  institution  have  entered  vocations  of  various 


6 


kinds  and  settled  down  to  the  practice  of  those  vocations  in 
nearly  all  of  the  States  of  the  Union,  so  that  I know  something 
of  the  institution,  something  of  its  spirit,  something  of  the 
man,  by  coming  in  contact  with  it  through  these  young  men 
and  young  women  who  went  out  to  represent  it  and  who 
acquitted  themselves  with  honor  and  reflected  pride  upon 
the  institution.  Now,  when  you  consider  all  of  these  ques- 
tions which  I have  suggested,  when  you  consider  the  work 
of  the  institution,  and  when  you  center  your  thoughts  upon 
it  all,  there  are  three  words  which  naturally  come  to  your 
minds,  and  these  words  are:  A man,  a philosophy  and  an 
institution. 

The  most  of  you  are  familiar  with  the  life  of  Dr.  Conwell, 
and  he  will  pardon  us  tonight  if,  in  his  presence,  we  refer 
to  some  features  of  it,  because  there  should  be  frequent  refer- 
ence to  it  in  assemblages  of  this  kind.  He  stands  out  as  one 
of  the  great  characters  in  America  which  should  be  held  up 
to  the  young  men  and  women  of  this  country  and  those  who 
are  in  attendance  upon  educational  institutions,  to  those 
who  have  not  yet  determined  upon  the  careers  which  they 
shall  follow.  I know  that  very  often  we  think  of  his  young 
life  as  one  of  hardship.  Somehow  I don’t.  It  was  a life  of 
privation  and  of  sacrifice,  but  it  was  a life  of  joy  in  many 
respects.  Oh,  there  were  many  things  in  the  life,  the  boy- 
hood life  of  Dr.  Conwell  for  which  he  is  grateful;  I know  it; 
it  could  not  be  otherwise.  Dr.  Conwell  was  fortunate  in 
having  been  born  at  a time  when  the  people  of  this  Nation 
were  thinking  seriously  upon  some  of  the  great  problems 
which  it  was  confronting,  and  those  who  lived  in  that  day 
and  who  studied  and  reflected  upon  those  problems  obtained 
strength  of  character  that  others  did  not  obtain.  Dr.  Conwell 
was  fortunate  in  having  lived  in  a Christian  home,  in  having 
had  a praying  father  and  a praying  mother.  He  lived  in 
the  days  when  it  was  fashionable  to  observe  the  family  altar; 
when  it  was  deemed  necessary  and  right  that  the  Bible  should 
be  the  text-book  of  the  morality  of  family  life  and  com- 
munity life;  at  a time  when  they  believed  in  prayer,  and, 

7 


oh,  what  an  influence  that  Christian  home  and  those  Chris- 
tian parents  have  or  did  have  upon  the  life  of  that  boy. 
And,  do  you  know  that  America  is  suffering  more  today  for 
the  lack  of  Christian  influences  in  family  life  and  in  the  life 
of  young  men  and  women  than  for  any  other  thing  in  this 
country.  [Applause.]  That  is  true  not  only  of  America; 
it  is  true  of  the  world  today.  There  is  nothing  that  would 
do  more  good  in  settling  conditions  in  this  country  and  in 
the  world  at  large  than  a return  to  the  good  old  fundamental 
Christian  principles  which  prevailed  in  the  days  of  the  Civil 
War  and  preceding  it,  and  America  must  come  to  it.  Oh,  I 
tell  you  it  was  a great  thing  for  Dr.  Conwell  to  have  lived 
in  those  days  and  to  have  had  his  character,  as  it  developed, 
influenced  by  such  power. 

Now,  as  to  the  question  of  privation  and  sacrifice.  If  Dr. 
Conwell  wanted  to  play  a game  of  baseball  he  had  to  make 
his  ball;  he  had  to  make  his  bat.  As  a boy,  if  he  wanted  a 
cart  he  had  to  make  the  cart.  Boys  do  not  have  to  do  those 
things  today;  boys  no  longer  make  the  balls;  boys  no 
longer  make  the  bats;  boys  no  longer  make  the  carts;  they 
are  usually  brought  home  to  the  boys.  Oh,  what  a power, 
what  an  influence  on  the  life  of  young  Conwell  did  these  things 
have.  And  today,  I wish  we  could  prescribe  a rule  for  all 
the  public  schools  of  America  that  every  boy  to  enjoy  a 
game  of  baseball  must  make  his  ball  and  make  his  bat;  must 
use  his  hands;  must  use  his  eyes;  must  use  these  great 
instruments  of  his  mind.  What  an  effect  it  would  have 
in  the  intellectual  development  of  those  boys,  and,  oh,  I 
would  give  the  same  kind  of  training  to  the  girls  if  I possibly 
could;  I should  not  take  from  them  any  of  the  intellectual 
training  which  they  receive  in  what  we  call  the  “book 
work”  of  the  public  schools,  but  I would  insist,  if  I could 
make  it  possible,  that  every  boy  and  every  girl  must  have 
some  of  this  hand  work  and  some  of  this  work  that  trains 
the  eye  and  the  judgment  in  their  courses  of  study  as  they 
go  through  the  schools.  When  Dr.  Conwell  wanted  amuse- 
ment he  could  not  leave  his  home  and  step  out  on  a trolley 


8 


and  go  to  a “ movie”  or  an  entertainment  of  that  kind.  Oh, 
no.  When  Dr.  Conwell  wanted  amusement  and  recreation 
as  a boy  he  had  to  unite  with  the  others  in  providing  some 
kind  of  amusement  themselves  in  the  community  where 
they  lived.  And  when  they  did  have  recreation  and  amuse- 
ment, how  wholesome  it  was  and  what  an  influence  it  was 
upon  the  life  and  character  of  those  young  people.  Inci- 
dentally, I want  to  say  that  is  just  a little  of  the  philosophy 
which  I hold  as  respects  public  education. 

This  institution  has  not  been  so  very  careful  and  respectful 
of  educational  traditions.  This  institution  has  tried  to  pro- 
vide— not  only  tried  but  has  succeeded  in  providing  that 
type  of  education  which  young  men  and  young  women  were 
thirsting  for;  young  men  and  young  women  who  found  it 
necessary  to  work  through  a portion  of  the  usual  working 
hours,  if  not  all  of  them,  but  who  were  so  anxious  to  obtain 
an  education  that  they  were  willing  to  go  to  an  institution 
at  the  unusual  hours  or  unprescribed  hours  for  colleges  and 
schools,  and  there,  under  the  influences  of  a great  univer- 
sity, pursue  the  course  of  study  which  they  desired  to  take; 
and  that  has  not  always  been  regarded  as  orthodox.  Oh, 
I wish  we  had  a thousand  Dr.  Conwells  in  America  today. 
I wish  we  had  a Dr.  Conwell  in  every  State  and  in  every 
great  City  of  America  so  that  the  advantages  which  have 
been  made  available  for  the  young  men  and  women  of  this 
great  City  and  surrounding  territory  could  be  made  available 
to  the  young  men  and  women  everywhere.  What  an  intel- 
lectual uplift  there  has  been  given  to  the  Nation  itself 
through  the  influence  of  this  one  institution.  Now,  of 
course,  we  must  respect  traditions  in  education;  we  must 
respect  educational  standards.  Very  much  is  being  said 
upon  this  question  at  the  present  time,  and  I cannot  dwell 
on  it  but  a moment,  but  I do  not  want  the  evening  to  pass 
without  saying  a word  upon  it.  We  have  in  America  today 
2,000,000  boys  and  girls  in  attendance  upon  secondary 
institutions.  We  have  today  325,000  young  people  in 
attendance  upon  colleges  and  universities  and  higher  tech- 


9 


nical  institutions.  Catch  these  figures:  325,000  in  the 
higher  institutions;  2,000,000  in  the  secondary  institutions. 
What  about  the  1,675,000  boys  and  girls  of  America  who 
are  in  the  secondary  institutions  but  who  never  expect  to 
get  into  the  institutions  of  higher  learning?  Are  they  not 
entitled  to  some  consideration?  Of  course,  we  should  main- 
tain courses  of  study  in  our  graded  secondary  schools  which 
shall  enable  as  many  of  these  young  people,  as  many  of 
these  two  millions  as  may  be  possible,  to  prepare  to  enter 
the  colleges  and  universities  and  higher  institutions  of  tech- 
nical character.  We  shall  get  none  too  many  of  them  for 
the  interest  and  good  of  the  country.  We  should  induce 
as  many  of  them  as  possible  to  go  into  these  institutions; 
we  should  do  nothing  which  is  going  to  decrease  the  impor- 
tance of  educational  standards  in  any  way.  So  far  as  my 
influence  is  concerned  in  the  State,  it  will  not  be  done;  but 
still  I shall  take  into  consideration  the  needs  of  these  325,000 
boys  and  girls.  I am  also  going  to  take  into  consideration 
the  needs  of  the  1,675,000  boys  and  girls  who  go  to  work, 
who  go  into  life’s  battle  without  going  into  college.  We 
must  go  back  into  civilization  as  far  as  we  can  and  take  from 
it  anything  that  will  make  our  present  civilization  better 
and  richer.  Oh,  we  must  do  all  that;  yes,  let  us  get  every- 
thing we  can  from  Homer  and  Virgil  and  Plato  and  those 
other  ancients  that  have  anything  in  their  lives  and  works 
to  give  us.  Let  us  take  it;  but  let  us  remember  that  there 
is  very  much  in  the  lives  and  works  of  such  men  as  Washing- 
ton and  Jefferson  and  Adams  and  William  Penn  and  Dr. 
Rush  and  Benjamin  Franklin,  and  Morris  and  Hamilton 
and  scores  of  others;  yes,  let  us  not  by  all  means  forget 
Abraham  Lincoln  and  his  philosophy.  [Applause.]  I am 
inclined  to  think  that  the  average  boy  or  girl  in  attendance 
upon  a high  school  today  will  get  as  much  out  of  studying 
the  philosophy  of  the  life  of  Abraham  Lincoln  and  his  phil- 
osophy of  government  as  the  average  boy  or  girl  will  get  in 
studying  the  life  of  Homer  or  some  of  the  other  ancients. 

Now  this  institution  is  not  a separate  and  distinct  instr 


10 


tution.  Temple  University  is  a part  of  the  great  educational 
system  of  the  Commonwealth;  it  does  not  stand  alone  by 
itself.  I look  upon  every  college,  every  university,  every 
educational  institution  in  the  Commonwealth  as  a part  of 
our  great  system  of  public  education.  What  is  the  phil- 
osophy of  public  education?  Have  you  ever  asked  yourself 
the  question  why  public  schools  are  maintained,  why  millions 
and  millions  of  dollars  are  expended  for  the  maintenance  of 
schools?  Why  is  it  that  men  give  up  their  minds  and  lives 
for  the  maintenance  of  colleges  and  universities  throughout 
the  land?  There  must  be  a reason  for  it,  and  this  institution 
is  maintained  for  the  very  reason  that  the  people  themselves 
believe  it  is  necessary  to  maintain  public  education,  and 
therefore  vote  public  funds  for  it.  There  is  a historic  reason 
for  it.  When  the  English  first  landed  at  Virginia  they  set  up 
a school.  When  the  Puritans  landed  at  New  England  they 
set  up  a meeting  house — a church  and  a school.  When  the 
Dutch  landed  in  New  York  they  set  up  their  church  and  a 
school-house,  and  when  William  Penn  landed  in  this  Com- 
monwealth or  colony  he  set  up  his  meeting  house  and  a 
school.  What  was  it  for?  Each  of  these  people  which 
came  to  this  country  had  a certain  philosophy  of  life  and  a 
philosophy  of  government,  and  they  proposed  to  impress 
that  upon  the  young  people  through  a system  of  education. 
And  all  through  Colonial  life  these  various  Colonial  systems 
of  education  were  maintained,  and  then  the  time  came 
when  the  different  Colonies  merged  their  interests  and  stood 
at  issue  with  another  country,  and  we  built  a great  Republic. 
What  did  they  do  then?  Did  they  write  into  the  consti- 
tution anything  in  relation  to  education?  No,  they  didn’t, 
but  nevertheless  they  adopted  what  has  become  known  as 
the  “ American  policy  in  education.”  They  left  to  each 
State  the  question  of  determining  what  its  educational 
system  and  plans  should  be,  and  from  that  day  on  there 
has  been  the  different  values  and  different  efficiencies  and 
State  school  systems  in  each  of  the  States  of  the  Union. 
Why  are  these  systems  maintained?  Because  it  is  the 


11 


common  belief  throughout  the  country  that  in  a democratic 
country  the  good  of  the  people,  the  preservation  of  demo- 
cratic ideals  and  institutions  depends  upon  the  education  of 
the  masses,  and  for  that  reason  we  maintain  public  schools. 
A document  promulgated  in  this  City  years  ago  sets  forth 
certain  principles  which  must  be  maintained  for  them.  It 
is  a great  honor  to  a city  to  enjoy  this  distinction.  Why, 
we  may  trace  right  back  in  Pennsylvania  itself  the  very 
foundation  of  public  education,  the  very  necessity  for  it. 
It  was  written  by  William  Penn  in  his  frame  of  government. 
Listen  to  William  Penn’s  words:  “The  means  of  peace  is 
justice,  and  the  means  of  justice  is  government.  Liberty 
without  obedience  is  confusion  and  obedience  without 
liberty  is  slavery.”  And  then,  later,  a century  later,  after 
promulgation  of  this  doctrine,  we  find  that  people  gathered 
in  Philadelphia  from  each  of  the  Colonies  in  America  and 
promulgated  the  Declaration  of  Independence.  It  contains 
two  great  fundamental  American  principles:  First,  that  all 
men  are  created  equal;  second,  that  they  are  endowed  by 
their  Creator  with  certain  inalienable  rights,  and  that 
among  these  are  life,  liberty  and  the  pursuit  of  happiness. 
And  then,  after  the  great  war  in  which  the  American  people 
defended  these  principles  and  won  the  issue,  there  was 
again  called  in  the  City  of  Philadelphia  another  convention 
containing  representatives  of  all  the  Colonies,  and  in  that 
convention  they  promulgated  that  great  document — the 
Constitution  of  the  United  States,  and  in  the  preamble,  as 
you  know,  they  set  forth  that  the  objects  of  government  are 
these  things:  “In  order  to  form  a more  perfect  union, 
establish  justice,  insure  domestic  tranquility,  provide  for  the 
common  defense,  promote  the  general  welfare  and  secure  the 
blessings  of  liberty  to  ourselves  and  to  posterity.” 

What  should  a great  public  educational  system  express? 
Should  it  not  express  the  ideals,  the  aspirations,  the  philos- 
ophy of  life  and  government  of  the  Nation  itself,  and  that 
is  what  the  public  schools  of  America,  what  the  educational 
institutions  of  America  must  stand  for  and  must  express  in 


12 


their  work.  A few  years  ago,  more  than  a few  years  ago, 
there  was  a convention  called  in  Berlin.  It  was  called  by 
the  Kaiser.  Something  like  twenty-five  years  ago  or  a 
little  more.  He  invited  to  that  Council  the  leading  educa- 
tors of  his  nation;  he  appeared  before  them  and  he  told 
them  that  the  work  of  the  public  schools  should  be  to  express 
the  philosophy  of  life  and  government  as  expressed  in  the 
German  form  of  Government,  and  they  were  there  to  con- 
sider how  best  to  form  an  educational  system  that  would 
give  expression  to  this  general  policy.  And  after  they  had 
been  in  session  for  several  months  and  reached  their  con- 
clusions, the  Kaiser  again  came  before  that  body,  expressed 
his  thanks  to  them  and  told  them  in  direct  words  what  the 
work  of  the  public  schools  should  be.  Is  there  any  doubt 
in  the  minds  of  any  of  you  that  the  German  system  of  educa- 
tion for  the  last  twenty-five  or  thirty  years  did  have  its 
influence  and  did  express  the  philosophy  and  life  of  German 
thought  and  German  government?  I am  finding  no  fault 
with  that.  I say  that  is  what  an  educational  system  should 
do,  and  the  public  educational  system  of  America,  which 
includes  not  only  public  schools,  but  which  includes  every 
college  and  university  in  it,  should  give  expression  to  the 
ideals  and  the  aspirations  and  the  philosophy  of  life  and 
government  in  America.  We  hear  a great  deal  of  talk 
these  days  about  peace;  world  peace.  Oh,  what  a pity 
that  we  haven’t  world  peace.  What  a reflection  upon 
civilization  everywhere  with  the  chaotic  conditions  existing 
which  now  prevail.  How  are  they  to  be  remedied?  I do 
not  know,  but  I know  this — I know  that  when  our  Govern- 
ment has  expended  $68  out  of  every  #100  which  it  expends 
for  wars  which  it  has  fought,  and  that  when  it  is  expending 
#25  out  of  every  $100  which  it  expends  for  wars  which  it  is 
contemplating,  and  that  it  expends  but  $ 6 for  the  interests 
of  labor  and  business  and  agriculture  out  of  all  that  it 
expends,  and  that  it  expends  but  $1  out  of  each  $100  for 
education  and  science,  I know  that  there  is  something 
wrong  somewhere.  [Applause.]  How  are  we  going  to 

13 


correct  it?  I am  not  sure  it  can  be;  but  I do  wish  that 
there  could  be  a crystallized  public  sentiment  in  America 
somewhere  which  could  undertake  to  go  at  it,  and  it  seems 
to  me  that  the  very  place  where  we  should  start  with  this  is 
in  our  educational  institutions.  We  hear  it  said  that  after 
the  fourth  of  March  the  President-elect  is  going  to  call  a 
Council  of  the  Nations  of  the  earth  to  take  up  the  question 
of  disarmament.  Let  us  hope  and  pray  that  he  does.  Let 
us  hope  and  pray  that  out  of  it  shall  come  a successful  con- 
clusion of  the  great  issues  involved  now  and  which  are  dis- 
turbing the  peace  of  the  world.  But  after  that  is  held,  I 
hope  that  he  will  call  another  great  conference;  I hope  he 
will  call  a great  international  educational  conference  and 
that  he  will  convene  in  that  conference  the  leading  educa- 
tional workers  of  the  great  civilized  nations  of  the  world, 
and  that  there  they  will  determine  that  so  far  as  the  educa- 
tional institutions  are  concerned  a great  propaganda  shall  be 
begun  which  shall  be  international,  world-wide,  in  every 
civilized  nation  of  the  world  where  schools  are  maintained, 
to  teach  the  fundamental  principles  of  Christianity  which 
are  peace,  honor  and  justice. 

Now,  ladies  and  gentlemen,  and  President  Conwell  and 
your  associates,  once  more  I bring  to  you  the  greetings  and 
felicitations  so  far  as  are  within  my  power  of  the  great  Com- 
monwealth of  Pennsylvania.  I pledge  to  you  in  behalf  of 
the  45,000  teachers  of  the  Commonwealth  their  united  sup- 
port in  the  great  work  which  you  have  been  doing,  not  only 
in  behalf  of  this  institution  and  this  city,  but  in  behalf  of 
manhood  and  womanhood  throughout  the  nation. 

Chairman  Krusen:  During  the  last  few  months  the  work 
of  Temple  University  has  become  national  in  its  aspect. 
We  have  been  entrusted  by  the  Federal  Vocational  Board 
with  the  training  of  over  one  thousand  soldiers — boys  that 
have  returned  gassed  or  injured  from  France  have  been 
receiving  their  higher  education  in  Temple  University.  As 
our  University  has  become  national  in  its  scope,  we  are 
happy  tonight  to  have  with  us  a national  figure.  When  the 


14 


President  of  the  United  States  wanted  a man  of  tact  and 
talent,  of  sagacity  and  diplomatic  characteristics  to  represent 
our  country  he  came  to  Philadelphia,  and  so  I present  to 
you  Honorable  Roland  S.  Morris,  United  States  Ambassador 
to  Japan,  who  will  now  address  you. 

ADDRESS  BY 

Hon.  Roland  S.  Morris,  United  States  Ambassador  to 
Japan:  Mr.  President,  Members  of  the  Faculty  and  Friends 
of  Temple  University:  I am  proud  indeed  to  be  permitted  to 
join  in  these  exercises  of  Founder’s  Day.  It  is  a privilege  to 
unite  with  you,  the  representatives  of  more  than  10,000 
graduates  of  Temple  University  to  pay  a tribute  of  gratitude 
and  respect  to  Dr.  Conwell,  whose  energy,  persistence  and 
optimism  have  made  possible  this  great  Philadelphia  insti- 
tution. 

I often  wonder  whether  we  Philadelphians  recognize  the 
extraordinary  work  which  Temple  University  is  doing  in 
the  field  of  modern  education — the  opportunities  it  offers 
and  the  influence  which  it  exercises. 

It  is  a wonderful  story  of  growth  and  achievement  from 
those  days  in  1884  when  Dr.  Conwell  gathered  the  first 
seven  students  around  him  to  this  year  1921  when  seven 
thousand  students  are  gathering  in  the  class-rooms  of  the 
University.  It  is  essentially  the  story  of  one  man’s  vision. 
He  saw  a need  in  this  community  and  he  could  not  rest 
content  until  he  had  created  the  instrument  to  meet  it. 
What  a burden  he  has  carried  during  those  years.  What 
difficulties  he  has  overcome.  And  Temple  University  exists 
today  as  a monument  to  an  energy  that  never  wearied — to 
a faith  that  never  faltered. 

It  is  well  that  we  should  gather  here  on  this  Founder’s 
Day  to  voice  our  appreciation  of  this  supreme  service  which 
one  man  has  rendered  to  our  city  and  our  country.  It  is 
better  if  we  can  catch  just  a glimpse  of  the  vision  that  is  his 
and  under  its  inspiration  resolve  that  we  will  do  our  part. 


15 


as  opportunity  offers,  to  share  the  burdens  he  has  carried 
almost  alone,  and  to  help  in  maintaining  the  work  he  has 
so  firmly  established.  I venture  to  suggest  that  never  in 
our  national  history  has  the  call  to  individual  service  been 
more  insistent  or  the  need  of  a broader  education  greater. 
Our  national  interests  have  become  so  much  larger  than 
ever  before,  and  in  this  democracy  of  ours  that  means  the 
interests  of  each  one  of  us. 

There  has  probably  never  been  a time  when  public  opinion 
in  all  countries  was  so  far  reaching  in  its  effect  and  yet  so 
unconventional,  so  experimental  and  so  unsettled  as  it  is 
now.  The  burning  experiences  of  the  war  have  melted  the 
set  forms  of  thought  and  action  with  which  we  have  grown 
familiar.  We  hope  and  believe  that  gradually  new  and 
better  forms  will  emerge  to  mould  the  future  of  our  world’s 
civilization.  May  I suggest  that  during  this  bewildering 
period  of  change  and  readjustment  if  we  would  render 
ourselves  fit  for  service  and  prepared  to  do  our  part  there 
is  imposed  upon  each  one  of  us  the  imperative  duty  to 
cultivate  certain  permanent  qualities  of  mind  and  charac- 
ter. In  the  first  place  let  us  resolve  to  be  generous.  I do 
not  mean  “generous”  in  the  material  sense  of  charity,  or 
even  in  the  emotional  sense  of  sympathy.  Valuable  as  such 
qualities  are  I am  inclined  to  believe  that  they  are  less  rare 
among  normal  men  and  women  and  less  difficult  to  foster 
than  we  sometimes  imagine.  What  I particularly  plead  for 
is  generosity  of  mind.  There  are  times,  perhaps,  when  it  is 
proper  and  useful  to  emphasize,  as  William  Hazlitt  did  so 
brilliantly  a century  ago,  the  value  of  prejudice;  but  in  these 
days  of  changing  standards,  if  we  would  exercise  a steadying 
influence  on  our  environment  we  must,  I submit,  be  unpreju- 
diced in  our  outlook,  generous  in  imputing  motives  to  men, 
and  even  more  generous  in  striving  to  understand  and  in 
rendering  judgments  on  either  men  or  movements.  It  is 
so  very  difficult  as  we  grow  older  to  avoid  a kind  of  mental 
hardening  which  tends  to  place  us  in  antagonism  with  the 
spirit  and  purposes  of  our  generation  and  soon  reduces  us 


16 


to  the  relatively  inferior  position  of  critics  or  obstructionists. 
But  it  is  possible  for  all  of  us  to  keep  our  minds  elastic,  our 
interests  broad  and  yet  lose  nothing  of — rather  immeasur- 
ably gain  in — strength  of  conviction  and  steadiness  of  pur- 
pose. And  again,  cannot  we,  under  the  inspiration  of  Dr. 
ConwelFs  example,  resolve  anew  that  we  will  never  for  an 
instant  (to  quote  the  pregnant  words  of  St.  Paul)  “be 
disobedient  to  the  Heavenly  vision.”  There  is  not  one  of 
us  who  at  some  time  in  his  life  has  not  glimpsed  the 
“heavenly  vision”  of  some  ideal  and  under  its  inspiration 
gone  forth  with  unselfish  enthusiasm  to  realize  it  in  a world 
of  hard  fact  and  seemingly  cruel  reality.  And  there  is  not 
one  of  us  who  in  moments  of  expended  effort  has  not  suffered 
the  inevitable  reaction  when  we  were  oppressed  with  a sense 
of  futility  and  disillusion.  Such  periods  of  reaction  in 
individual  experience  have  marked  “the  instant  of  the 
birth”  of  many  a cynic,  realist  or  pessimist.  But  it  is  the 
glory  of  the  history  of  the  human  race  that  they  have  also 
marked  the  “instant  of  birth”  of  those  leaders  and  inspirers 
of  mankind  who  “obtained  a good  report  through  faith” 
and  of  whom  indeed  “the  world  was  not  worthy.”  And  as 
it  occurs  in  the  experience  of  the  individual,  so  it  seems  to 
me  it  occurs  in  the  experience  of  nations.  There  are  times 
when  men  and  women  united  in  a great  national  aspiration 
and  effort  have  their  moments  of  what  might  be  termed 
national  reaction  when  cynicism  strives  to  usurp  the  place 
of  faith  and  realism  does  battle  with  ideals.  It  is  such 
national  crises  which  call  aloud  for  the  men  and  women  who 
in  hours  of  darkness  and  depression  are  never  “disobedient 
to  the  heavenly  vision.” 

And  finally,  may  we  all  definitely  and  conscientiously 
cultivate  a spirit  of  optimism.  I do  not  mean  the  irritat- 
ing optimism  of  ignorance,  and  optimism  which  wilfully 
excludes  from  view  the  ugly  aspects  of  human  life  and 
human  nature.  Such  an  optimism  may  wrap  the  individual 
in  comfortable  content,  but  it  is  not  of  the  stuff  which  a 
real  and  vital  world  demands.  Rather,  for  all  of  us,  that 

17 


“generous  discontent”  which  William  Watson  rightly  ranks 
among  “the  things  that  are  more  excellent.” 

I fear  that  we  elders  often  carry  into  our  maturer  life  the 
too  narrow  conception  of  the  “prophet”  which  we  formed 
in  early  years  when  we  were  first  introduced  to  those  rugged 
men  of  penetrating  vision  who  gave  to  Hebrew  history  and 
its  records  the  supreme  place  which  they  occupy  in  the 
spiritual  history  of  humanity.  The  gift  of  prophecy,  the 
witness  and  “the  evidence  of  things  not  seen”  is  not  the  sole 
heritage  of  any  race  or  any  time.  Is  it  too  much  to  claim 
that  in  Walt  Whitman  America  has  given  to  the  world  one 
who  had  something  of  that  moral  vision  and  that  enthu- 
siasm for  the  possibilities  of  the  human  spirit  which  the 
prophets  of  Israel  possessed  in  such  abundance?  It  is  to  the 
optimism  which  characterized  all  his  life  and  work  that  I 
would  point  as  the  example  of  the  quality  which  we  need 
in  our  lives  today.  There  was  nothing  of  ignorance  or 
aloofness  in  it.  He  found  it  in  the  limited  opportunities  of 
his  boyhood,  in  the  harrowing  experiences  of  hospital  life, 
in  the  sordid  intrigues  of  local  politics,  in  the  obscurity  and 
poverty  of  his  Camden  days.  May  we  catch  just  a little 
of  that  fine  spirit  of  hope  and  joy  with  which  Walt  Whitman 
welcomed  over  twenty-five  years  ago  the  prophetic  vision 
which  was  vouchsafed  to  him  of  these  very  days  in  which 
we  are  living.  He  tells  it  to  us  in  his  “Years  of  the 
Modern” — 

“Years  of  the  modern;  years  of  the  unperform’d; 

Your  horizon  rises — I see  it  parting  away  for  more  august 
dramas, 

I see  not  America  only — I see  not  only  Liberty’s  nation,  but 
other  nations  preparing: 

I see  tremendous  entrances  and  exits — I see  new  combi- 
nations— I see  the  solidarity  of  races; 

I see  that  force  advancing  with  irresistible  power  on  the 
world’s  stage; 

(Have  the  old  forces,  the  old  wars,  played  their  parts?  Are 
the  acts  suitable  to  them  closed  ?) 

18 


I see  Freedom,  completely  arm’d  and  victorious,  and  very 
haughty,  with  Law  on  one  side,  and  Peace  on  the  other, 

A stupendous  Trio,  all  issuing  forth  against  the  idea  of  caste; 

I see  men  marching  and  countermarching  by  swift  millions; 

I see  the  frontiers  and  boundaries  of  the  old  aristocracies 
broken; 

I see  the  landmarks  of  European  kings  removed; 

I see  this  day  the  People  beginning  their  landmarks  (all 
others  give  way) ; 

Never  were  such  sharp  questions  ask’d  as  this  day; 

Never  was  average  man,  his  soul,  more  energetic,  more  like 
God; 

f 

Lo!  how  he  urges  and  urges,  leaving  the  masses  no  rest; 

His  daring  foot  is  on  land  and  sea  everywhere  . . . 

With  the  steamship,  the  electric  telegraph,  the  newspaper, 
the  wholesale  engines  of  war, 

With  these,  and  the  world-spreading  factories,  he  interlinks 
all  geography,  all  lands; 

What  whispers  are  these,  O lands,  running  ahead  of  you, 
passing  under  the  seas? 

Are  all  nations  communing?  Is  there  going  to  be  but  one 
heart  to  the  globe? 


The  earth,  restive,  confronts  a new  era,  perhaps  a general 
divine  war; 

No  one  knows  what  will  happen  next — such  portents  fill 
the  days  and  nights; 

Years  prophetical!  the  space  ahead  as  I walk,  as  I vainly 
try  to  pierce  it,  is  full  of  phantoms; 

Unborn  deeds,  things  soon  to  be,  project  their  shapes  around 
me; 


The  perform’d  America  and  Europe  grow  dim,  retiring  in 
shadow  behind  me, 

The  unperform’d,  more  gigantic  than  ever,  advance,  advance 
upon  me.” 


19 


May  each  one  of  us  with  an  humble  appreciation  of  the 
great  heritage  which  the  anguish  of  myriads  of  men  and 
women  has  made  ours,  with  minds  generously  sensitive  to 
the  impact  of  new  hopes  and  new  aspirations,  steadied  by 
undimmed  vision  of  the  high  destiny  of  the  human  spirit 
and  sustained  by  an  unwavering  faith  in  the  future,  thank 
God  for  the  “ unperformed  ” more  gigantic  than  ever,  and 
watch  with  confidence  as  it  advances,  advances  upon  us. 

CONFERRING  OF  DEGREES 

Chairman  Krusen:  The  next  part  of  our  program  is  the 
conferring  of  honorary  degrees.  The  first  one  recommended 
by  the  Board  of  Trustees  will  be  presented  by  Mr.  Charles 
E.  Beury,  Chairman  of  our  Endowment  Committee  and 
Member  of  the  Board  of  Trustees. 

Mr.  Charles  E.  Beury:  President  Conwell:  It  is  my 
great  privilege  to  present  to  you  one  who  has  secured  a 
position  of  unusual  eminence  not  only  in  our  country  but 
throughout  the  world;  one  who  graduated  from  Princeton 
University  in  1896  with  a degree  of  Bachelor  of  Arts;  in  1899 
from  the  University  of  Pennsylvania  Law  School  with  a 
degree  of  Bachelor  of  Law,  and  who  subsequently  commenced 
the  practice  of  law  in  this  our  own  City.  He  shortly  attained 
a position  of  unusual  eminence  as  a lawyer,  as  a social 
worker,  as  a religious  worker,  as  a man  interested  in  the 
political  development  of  our  country,  and,  as  we  have  just 
heard,  as  an  essayist  and  philosopher.  His  distinction  in 
this  field  increasing,  he  was  asked  by  our  Government, 
shortly  after  we  entered  the  World  War,  to  undertake  a 
very  delicate  position  as  Ambassador  to  Japan;  and  during 
the  course  of  that  strenuous  war  period  our  President 
summoned  him  to  Siberia  and  Russia,  and  three  times  he 
studied  in  secret  the  great  problems  there  presented.  He 
acquitted  himself  with  such  distinction  and  with  such  honor 
that  many  are  glad  to  pronounce  that  he  is  one  of  the  most 
accomplished  ambassadors  and  diplomats  that  it  has  ever 
been  the  privilege  of  America  to  honor.  I,  therefore,  Mr. 


20 


President,  take  great  pleasure  in  presenting  to  you  the 
Honorable  Roland  S.  Morris,  Ambassador  to  Japan,  for  the 
honorary  degree  of  Doctor  of  Laws. 

President  Conwell:  On  behalf  of  the  Board  of  Trustees 
and  the  Faculty  of  Temple  University  I accept  this  official 
position  to  confer  upon  you  this  distinguished  title  which 
is  recognized  now  the  world  over  as  belonging  only  to  those 
who  have  done  the  nation  or  the  people  of  the  United  States 
great  good.  Our  system  of  conferring  degrees  in  this  Uni- 
versity is  very  simple,  very  unostentatious;  we  try  to  keep 
everything  connected  with  it  along  that  democratic  plane  of 
the  people,  the  every  day  people;  we  speak  the  language  of 
the  American  people;  we  strive  to  keep  in  line  with  their 
feelings  and  with  their  thoughts  and  their  positions;  there- 
fore, without  attempting  any  unusual  display,  we  confer  them 
upon  distinguished  people  who  are  kind  enough  to  visit  us, 
and  who  have  been  recognized  by  the  nation  as  among  those 
who  deserve  such  positions.  Sir,  you  have  conferred  an 
honor  upon  us  coming  here  tonight;  you  have  also  done  a 
noble  deed  by  coming  here  tonight.  As  I said  to  you  in 
private,  I now  repeat  in  public,  here  are  assembled  the 
representatives  of  the  city,  the  State  and  perhaps  of  the 
nation;  here  in  this  hall  tonight  are  those  of  brain  and 
brawn,  men  and  women  of  intelligence  and  of  sterling  char- 
acter, of  good  health  of  body  and  of  mind;  they  will  be  the 
influential  Americans  in  the  years  to  come,  and  your  coming 
tonight,  representing  as  you  do  our  nation,  and  your  words 
tonight  of  wise  counsel,  will  live  when  you  perhaps  have 
forgotten  this  visit  tonight,  because  through  the  hearts  and 
minds  of  those  present  will  go  your  thoughts  and  your 
example  out  into  the  American  world,  and  wherever  the 
American  flag  is  unfurled  there  will  probably,  in  the  years 
to  come,  be  some  representative  of  the  Temple  University. 
I welcome  you  to  this  place  tonight  because  of  the  great 
service  you  did  for  humanity  as  ambassador  to  Japan.  Many 
of  us  through  those  difficult  and  dangerous  days  watched 
with  an  anxiety  I cannot  now  express  what  should  come 


21 


from  our  negotiations  with  Japan.  It  was  the  danger  point 
in  the  war;  it  was  the  extremely  sensitive  point  in  the 
American  future  political  and  educational  life.  The  Presi- 
dent of  the  United  States  selected  a Philadelphian.  We  were 
proud  of  that.  He  selected  you.  We  are  now  proud  of  that, 
because  through  those  difficult  negotiations,  which  required 
the  highest  talent  and  the  greatest  care  and  the  most  com- 
plete consecration,  you  carried  yourself  with  a dignity,  with 
a success  which  the  Nation  now  appreciates,  and  we,  tonight, 
are  simply  echoing  this  when  we  confer  upon  you  this 
recognition  of  your  great  service  to  humanity  in  the  preven* 
tion  of  war  and  in  the  securing  of  those  measures  adopted 
by  Japan  which  shall  unquestionably  bring  us  together  in 
close  bonds  of  friendship  in  the  years  to  come.  We  are 
grateful  to  you  for  your  service  to  humanity,  and  tonight 
it  is  an  honor  to  us  that  on  behalf  of  the  corporation  I confer 
upon  you  this  degree  of  Doctor  of  Laws.  I,  therefore,  give 
you  the  insignia  of  our  institution. 

Chairman  Krusen:  President  Conwell,  it  is  my  pleasant 
duty,  on  behalf  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  Temple  Uni- 
versity, to  present  to  you  for  the  Degree  of  Doctor  of  Laws 
a man  who  struggled  for  his  early  education,  who  can  sym- 
pathize with  the  difficulties  and  has  a keen  appreciation  of 
the  hardships  through  which  many  of  the  students  of  Temple 
University  and  other  similar  institutions  have  had  to  pass. 
He  was  born  in  West  Fulton  County,  New  York,  several 
years  ago.  He  graduated  from  the  College  for  Teachers  in 
Albany  in  1889.  He  studied  law  and  was  admitted  to  the 
bar  of  New  York  in  1894.  He  has  been  associated  with  the 
educational  system  of  New  York  State  in  an  administrative 
capacity  for  many  years.  He  has  written  valuable  books 
and  papers  upon  educational  subjects.  He  was  selected  by 
the  Governor  of  this  State  and  became  the  Superintendent 
of  Public  Instruction  on  June  1st,  1919,  and  has  won  for 
himself  in  that  brief  time  the  esteem,  the  affection  and  the 
confidence  of  the  citizens  of  the  Commonwealth  of  Penn- 
sylvania. It  is  a privilege  to  present  to  you,  President 


22 


Conwell,  Dr.  Thomas  E.  Finegan  for  the  degree  of  Doctor 
of  Laws. 

President  Conwell:  On  behalf  of  the  Board  of  Trustees 
and  the  Faculty  of  Temple  University  I confer  upon  you 
the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Laws.  You  did  have  and  you 
probably  will  have  more  in  the  years  to  come  from  institutions 
of  wider  fame  than  ours.  Therefore,  it  is  not  conferring  upon 
you  a distinction  which  you  already  bear,  but  it  is  expressing 
a fraternal  interest  in  your  own  personal  life  and  a respect 
for  the  great  office  which  you  hold  in  our  Commonwealth. 
There  is  no  place  held  by  any  man  in  the  State  of  Penn- 
sylvania so  important  to  the  welfare  of  its  people  as  that 
which  you  now  hold  at  the  head  of  our  common  school 
system.  You  reach  every  department  through  these  schools 
and  you  are  laying  the  foundation  for  the  future  institutions 
of  the  State  and  of  the  country.  The  important  position 
which  you  hold  entitled  you  to  our  respect  from  that  very 
fact;  but  in  addition  to  it  we  can  tonight,  without  any 
appearance  of  over-statement,  say  that  you  have  filled  the 
office  already  to  the  full,  and  you  have  overflowed  it  and 
you  will  overflow  it  in  the  years  to  come.  I like  a man 
that  is  larger  than  his  denomination,  and  I honor  you  for 
being  larger  than  your  office,  and  therefore,  on  behalf  of  the 
Board  of  Trustees  and  the  Faculty,  I confer  upon  you  the 
distinction,  if  it  be  such,  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Laws,  I 
give  you  the  insignia  of  our  institution. 

Chairman  Krusen:  I now  present  to  you  President 
Conwell  who  is  seventy-eight  years  young  today. 

ADDRESS  BY 

President  Russell  H.  Conwell:  Mr.  Vice-President  and 
Faculty  and  Trustees  and  Friends  and  Students:  It  is  not 
necessary,  after  these  orators  have  spoken,  for  me  to  add 
anything  along  the  line  of  their  thoughts.  They  have  said 
it  well;  I should  only  mar  it  by  venturing  into  their  fields. 
Therefore,  as  we  disperse  for  tonight  I wish  to  give  you  a 
little  of  the  old  man’s  advice;  I wish  to  give  you  something 


23 


of  an  appeal  in  behalf  of  Temple  University.  You  have  now 
your  duty  to  perform.  The  institution  has  established  itself 
now,  and  now  it  is  with  the  people;  it  is  with  you;  you  can 
do  with  it  what  you  wish.  It  was  never  undertaken  for 
the  purpose  of  any  denominational  expansion,  and  it  was  not 
undertaken  for  the  purpose  of  any  local  institution.  It  is 
simply  an  institution  established  for  the  good  of  the  people 
of  the  State  and  Nation,  and  whatever  name  may  be  attached 
to  it  in  the  future — or  no  name  at  all — the  idea  is  the 
essential  thing  and  under  the  American  flag  such  an  insti- 
tution as  this  must  necessarily  be  supported  because  it  is 
the  need  of  the  common  people  of  the  United  States;  it 
seems  to  be  the  only  door  that  is  open  to  the  poor  boy  and 
the  poor  girl  who  must  work  for  his  or  her  living,  and  care 
for  himself  or  herself  and  others,  that  leads  upward  and 
clearly  and  advantageously  to  the  higher  ranks  of  learning. 
The  great  institutions  of  the  world  are  changing  their 
characteristics  rapidly  and  becoming  more  practical.  We 
are  learning  now  it  is  more  necessary  to  have  good  cooking 
than  it  is  to  read  Cicero  or  Socrates;  we  are  learning  now 
that  it  is  more  necessary  to  have  an  Edison  than  it  is  any 
great  philosopher;  we  are  learning  now  that  men  and  women 
must  be  practical;  they  must  learn  that  which  shall  be  of 
use  to  themselves  and  to  the  world.  And  so  this  institution, 
in  common  with  other  institutions,  has  adapted  itself  to  the 
new  ideas  and  the  apparent  new  needs  of  the  world;  we  are 
working  with  the  other  universities.  I suppose  that  the 
ex-Provost  of  Pennsylvania  University  is  present  now;  he 
said  he  would  be  if  he  were  in  his  right  mind,  and  I know 
he  is,  but  I haven’t  seen  Provost  Smith  or  I would  have 
gone  after  him  to  come  up  on  the  platform;  but  he  said  he 
would  be  here;  he  has  always  been  here;  always  taken  an 
interest  in  this  institution,  and  the  Pennsylvania  Univer- 
sity and  the  Temple  University  have  worked  along  in  com- 
plete harmony.  We  have  our  work  to  do;  they  have  their 
work  to  do.  If  a young  man  comes  to  us  that  has  plenty 
of  opportunity  and  plenty  of  money,  he  should  avail  himself 


24 


of  the  Pennsylvania  University  on  the  other  side  of  the  river. 
This  institution  is  intended  for  those  who  earn  their  own 
money.  This  institution  is  for  those  who  must  earn  their 
living  in  part  or  entirely  and  consequently  cannot  come  in 
the  hours  which  would  be  available  in  other  institutions. 
Therefore,  I want  you  to  go  out  from  this  gathering  tonight 
and  advertise  or  spread  abroad  the  work  of  the  Temple 
University.  Don’t  talk  about  the  founder.  I have  been 
so  much  talked  about  I am  sick  abed;  don’t  talk  about  the 
founder.  One  of  the  gatherings  of  today  are  even  arranging 
for  my  funeral;  but  talk  about  the  idea;  talk  about  the 
purposes;  go  out  into  the  world  and  say  that  the  Temple 
University  has  now  as  excellent  a course  in  all  the  various 
branches  as  any  university  in  the  land.  Go  out  into  the 
world  and  say  that  many  of  our  leading  minds  in  the  educa- 
tional world  have  fallen  into  the  idea  that  a university  must 
have  money,  and  so,  in  order  to  hold  rank  with  other  insti- 
tutions, they  have  come  to  us  and  told  us,  “Now  you  must 
have  $5,000,000  or  else  you  will  not  be  recognized,  though 
you  do  just  as  good  work  or  better  work  than  any  other 
institution  with  a hundred  million  dollars.  It  don’t  make 
any  difference,  you  have  got  to  have  five  million  in  order  to 
be  recognized  as  a first-class  institution.”  That  is  so  un- 
American,  so  contrary  to  the  spirit  of  the  American  flag, 
that  it  cannot  prevail.  The  American  people  will  not  long 
bear  up  under  an  aristocratic  idea  like  that — that  a man’s 
education  has  but  little  to  do  with  it,  but  where  he  obtained 
it  has  everything  to  do  with  it.  And  the  regulation  that 
was  made  a short  time  ago  that  no  man’s  education  should 
be  recognized  in  an  examination  for  the  higher  professions 
unless  he  had  obtained  that  education  between  nine  o’clock 
in  the  morning  and  four  o’clock  in  the  afternoon.  That 
regulation,  which  was  really  a regulation,  has  troubled  us 
much  and  hindered  us  much.  Why  Abraham  Lincoln 
wouldn’t  stand  anywhere  now, — that  is  if  the  American 
people  and  American  institutions  were  to  recognize  any  such 
aristocratic  idea,  but  it  has  been  extant  long  enough  and 

25 


has  furnished  the  Temple  University  with  a great  deal  of 
trouble — a great  deal  of  trouble.  An  instance  comes  plainly 
to  mind:  I asked  a certain  lady  to  give  $100,000  to  our 
medical  school,  and  she  said  she  could  give  more  than  that. 
I asked  her,  “Can  you  give  $500,000?”  She  didn’t  know 
about  it  but  believed  she  could  give  perhaps  $200,000,  and 
she  wanted  to  know  about  the  institution,  so  she  came  and 
looked  it  over,  and  found  that  the  Medical  Society  of  the 
nation  had  decided  that  a medical  school  could  not  be  a 
number  A school  without  two  million  dollars,  and  she  said, 
“Can  you  raise  the  rest  of  it?”  I didn’t  dare  say  I could, 
and  so,  instead  of  having  $200,000  to  go  on  with  our  medical 
work,  they  knocked  us  squarely  out  of  that  and  prevented 
us  from  being  what  they  wanted  us  to  be  by  the  foolish 
regulation  or  idea  in  education  that  recognizes  only  money, 
and  we  have  been  hampered  time  and  time  and  again  by 
this  aristocratic  tendency  to  say  that  you  must  go  to  a 
school  endowed  with  twenty  million  whether  they  spend 
that  twenty  million  or  not  in  order  to  have  an  education 
that  is  entitled  to  respect.  The  two  hundred  and  fifty 
lawyers  that  are  practicing  law  in  Philadelphia  that  have 
graduated  from  Temple  University,  why  they  stand  among 
the  best,  as  judges  they  stand  among  the  highest,  and  we 
are  not  ashamed  of  them  compared  with  any  graduate  of 
Harvard  or  Oxford,  England,  and  if  that  aristocratic  standard 
were  to  prevail,  then  they  would  stand  as  being  unfit  perhaps 
to  occupy  the  high  stations  they  now  do.  But  that  cannot 
prevail  and  you  can  go  out  and  demand  justice,  such  as  the 
distinguished  Ambassador  brought  before  us  tonight.  . What 
we  want  is  that  this  land  shall  continue  to  be  what  it  has 
been  for  155  years — the  land  of  the  poor  boy.  I have 
given  much  attention,  for  the  purpose  of  public  lecturing, 
to  the  study  of  the  lives  of  the  great  millionaires  of  America, 
and  3900  out  of  4100  were  poor  boys  without  a dollar.  Oh, 
it  has  been  the  land  of  the  poor  boy  after  all.  Institutions 
may  try  to  promulgate  their  aristocratic  regulations  and  say 
that  money  shall  decide  what  a man  shall  be,  but  they 


26 


can’t  do  it.  They  haven’t  often  done  it  in  the  past  and 
they  can’t  do  it  in  the  future,  so  go  out  to  the  world  and 
say  that  the  graduate  from  Temple  University,  or  any 
institution  like  that,  whether  it  be  poor  or  rich  in  money, 
if  it  be  rich  in  education,  will  stand  the  equal  of  any 
other,  because  he  will  stand  on  his  merit,  and  merit  will 
stand,  after  all,  in  every  discussion  of  the  kind.  So  go  out 
and  say  to  the  world  that  the  Temple  University  has  a 
magnificent  faculty.  Oh,  that  I could  say  what  I ought  to 
say.  This  day,  this  week,  you  have  surrounded  me  with 
the  indications  of  your  care  in  day  after  day  celebrations 
of  my  birthday.  My  friends,  I tell  you  the  sincere  truth — 
I feel  a sense  of  deep  guilt  in  accepting  any  such  tribute 
when  I think  of  the  many  who  have  sacrificed  for  the  Temple 
University  and  they  are  not  even  known.  I am  simply 
standing  on  their  reputation.  I am  standing  on  their  heads 
and  kind  of  hold  them  down  by  receiving  myself  the  credit 
that  really  is  due  to  them.  But  our  Temple  faculty  of 
today:  It  has  the  distinguished  graduates  of  the  greatest 
universities  on  its  list,  and  among  over  three  hundred 
of  them  you  find  the  noblest  of  characters,  yet  working 
at  a salary  much  less  than  obtainable  from  other  institutions 
of  greater  fame,  because  they  believe  we  are  doing  a great 
good  to  humanity  and  the  satisfaction  of  that  makes  up 
for  the  loss  of  their  salary.  If  you  get  acquainted  with 
the  members  of  this  faculty  you  will  find  men  of  high 
motives,  because  of  grand  humanitarian  principles,  and  they 
do  it  because  they  love  it,  and  they  love  it  because  it  is 
doing  good  to  humanity  in  the  name  of  God.  We  have  a 
magnificent  faculty.  Say  that  to  the  world  and  it  will 
never  come  back  on  you  anywhere.  Say  that  you  have  the 
grandest  men  and  women  perhaps  tha,t  ever  assembled 
together,  guided  by  high  principles,  and  doing  their  work 
as  thoroughly  as  done  in  any  university.  Go  out  and  tell 
the  world  that  the  time  has  now  come  when  any  poor  boy 
in  America,  any  poor  girl  in  America,  can  have  the  highest 
education.  The  time  has  now  come.  We  need  very  much 

27 


the  new  two  million  dollar  building  running  from  Berks 
Street  to  Montgomery  Avenue  on  Broad  Street,  as  we 
now  own  the  houses,  with  one  exception  I think,  of  the 
whole  block.  We  need  to  have  a great  block  there  so  that 
we  can  take  care  of  10,000  more  than  we  are  now.  Our 
system  is  so  simple  and  the  kind  of  material  among  the 
students  is  such  that  we  could  take  100,000  or  500,000  and 
do  the  work  just  as  thoroughly  as  we  are  doing  it  now, 
because  each  student  can  earn  his  own  living  and  pay  his 
own  tuition,  and  the  institution  can  go  on  that  plan  and  be 
established  in  any  city  as  it  is  established  here.  It  was  not 
so  difficult  to  establish  it.  Any  boy  or  girl  can  have  an 
education  if  he  is  industrious  enough  to  undertake  to  earn 
his  own  living  and  give  his  mind  to  study.  The  time  has 
come  now  when  any  one  can  get  it.  It  is  a great  achieve- 
ment. It  is  not  my  achievement.  I feel  as  though  I 
could  say,  “Let  now  Thy  servant  depart  in  peace  for  mine 
eyes  have  seen  Thy  salvation.”  Say  to  the  State  of  Penn- 
sylvania that  this  institution  is  a great  one  today  in  many 
ways,  in  enlargement  of  the  vision  of  the  people,  not  only 
in  the  increase  of  beautiful  home  life,  and  not  only  in  the 
increase  of  business  interest,  worship  and  the  life  of  God, 
but  it  has  a financial  increase  which  is  sometimes  astonishing 
to  people.  Professor  Stauffer  just  handed  me  the  figures 
with  reference  to  the  value  to  the  State  in  money  of  the 
100,000  graduates  of  the  Temple  University  now  living  with 
97  per  cent  of  the  100,000  in  the  State  of  Pennsylvania;  if 
their  increase  of  earning  is  what  the  Educational  Depart- 
ment declares  is  the  usual  increase  of  $15  a week,  why  then 
the  Temple  University  students  now  in  the  State  are  giving 
to  the  State  of  Pennsylvania  in  an  increased  income 
#780,000,000  every  year.  Now  when  you  think  that  780 
millions  a year  are  given  to  the  income  of  the  people  of 
the  State  by  an  institution  like  this,  and  then  think  of  Dr. 
Finegan’s  awful  responsibility  of  the  great  educational  system 
of  the  day  schools,  which  also  confer  so  many  millions  of 
income  upon  the  State,  then  you  can  appreciate  how  great 


28 


is  his  duty,  and  you  can  also  appreciate  how  great  is  the 
value  of  the  Temple  University  to  the  State  of  Pennsyl- 
vania. Think  of  the  millions  every  year — 280  millions  a 
year,  and  then  multiply  by  35  and  see  what  it  is,  and  then 
look  forward  one  hundred  years  and  see  what  immense  value 
that  education  of  the  people  is  being  given  to  the  State  of 
Pennsylvania.  I would  not  tire  you.  You  have  been  kind 
to  come,  and  I want  you  to  go  home  rested,  but  I do  want 
you  to  carry  home  with  you  a realization  of  how  mighty  is 
the  influence  of  the  present  7000  students,  and  how  much 
greater  still  is  the  increasing  influence  of  the  112,000  who 
have  gone  out  from  the  institution  in  the  past.  Take  it 
upon  your  heart,  take  it  upon  your  lives,  and  when  we 
enter  into  any  method  of  striving  to  secure  subscriptions 
for  buildings,  read  about  it.  There  is  coming  from  the 
publishers,  a book,  I think  the  advertisement  of  it  is  in  your 
program,  on  the  history  of  this  institution  which  I wrote  for 
them.  Take  that  book  and  read  what  I have  said  about 
it,  if  you  can,  and  then  talk  it  to  the  world.  Let  us  in 
the  next  year  talk  up  the  Temple  University  until  every  poor 
boy  hears  of  it  who  needs  an  education,  and  every  benevolent 
man  hears  of  it  who  is  willing  to  help  the  poor  boy  and  poor 
girl  get  an  education.  [Applause.] 

Dr.  Conwell  offered  the  benediction  and  the  meeting 
adjourned  at  10.30  P.  m. 


29 


